Victorian jewel box home with landmark status in downtown San Jose hits the market

A Victorian duplex and its carriage house dating back to 1889 sits in the heart of downtown San Jose and is listed for $2.498 million

A Victorian duplex and its carriage house dating back to 1889 sits in the heart of downtown San Jose and is listed for $2.498 million

Photo: Scott DuBose

Photo: Scott DuBose

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A Victorian duplex and its carriage house dating back to 1889 sits in the heart of downtown San Jose and is listed for $2.498 million

A Victorian duplex and its carriage house dating back to 1889 sits in the heart of downtown San Jose and is listed for $2.498 million

Photo: Scott DuBose

Victorian jewel box home with landmark status in downtown San Jose hits the market

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A jewel box of a Victorian with landmark status in the heart of downtown San Jose is listed for $2.498 million.

Behind the meticulously restored facade of the Stiller House at 285 East Saint James St., you'll find a pair of two-bedroom units in the main home and a carriage house with a third apartment in the back, all spread across 4,200 square feet of living space.

The lovely abode was erected in 1889 by a builder who went by the name Stiller. In the early 1900s, it was among the first homes in California to get electricity. The original owner had an interest in winemaking at a time when the Santa Clara Valley was known for its bountiful fruit, so the basement with an 8-foot-tall ceiling and exposed red brick was used to store grapes.

The property was converted into apartments during the depression in the 1930s and its current owner bought the building in 2007. The new owner improved on the layout of a duplex and back cottage, turning it into a successful Airbnb rental.

"It had good bones, but it was kind of the ugly duckling," says Alex Vaz Waddington. "You had to walk through the bedroom to get to the kitchen in one of the suites. The closets were shallow. I fixed oddness in the house to make it more comfortable for modern-day living."

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All three suites have gourmet kitchens and modern bathrooms, yet many of the original details have been restored, such as the Douglas fir tongue-and-grove floors.

Decorative black iron fencing surrounds the home and behind a remote-controlled gate there's parking for three cars. The front and side yards and a back patio bloom with flowers. In front, two Mexican fan palms, which were planted when the home was first built, stand more than 100 feet tall.